Chances are, you have already heard of Coinbase’s ‘Your Way Out’ ad. It won the Cannes Lions Film Craft Grand Prix, collected five more Lions and has since landed a Primetime Emmy nomination. What you may not have heard is just how much of it was made by South Africans. We go behind the scenes with service company, Gatehouse.
Castle Lite has taken ‘Nothing hits like Extra Cold’ very literally, making it snow across Nigeria, Tanzania and Mozambique in its latest campaign. Created by Boundless and directed by Darling Films’ Chloe Coetsee, ‘Nothing hits like Extra Cold’ turns that first icy sip into a full-blown bar snowstorm.
So, what has more than three decades of making work, building agencies and leading creative people taught Pete Case? Quite a lot, as it turns out. We spoke to Pete, CEO & Creative Chairman of Ogilvy South Africa, about why South African creatives travel so well, the ideas that still give him goosebumps, what great marketers get right, protecting humans in the age of AI, surviving an industry full of ‘Nos’, and why you’ll occasionally find one of South Africa’s most powerful advertising leaders in his garage fiddling with a petrol engine.
We caught up with Bioscope director Fausto Becatti and Executive Producer Daniel Kaplan to go behind the scenes of their new ad featuring the Springboks, the one that had us asking, "Woah, is that a Pick n Pay ad?"
Founded by Cherise Haskins, Cherry Picked Locations has become one of Joburg’s go-to location agencies over the past decade. Now, after building a growing portfolio of locations in Cape Town, Cherry Picked is bringing that same hands-on approach to the Mother City.
As we gear up for Full Circle, we asked Cannes Lions 2026 Audio & Radio juror Jabulani Sigege to share a few reflections from inside the jury room. From what separated the winning work to why South African creativity is uniquely positioned on the global stage, here are three lessons he brought home from Cannes.
Robyn Campbell has spent her career doing the things most people never see. She started in fashion design, moved through the early days of digital, led agencies, and now serves as Senior Vice President at Publicis Groupe Africa. She’s become an expert in the invisible work behind great creativity: building teams, shaping culture, backing people and protecting ideas long enough for them to become exceptional. In this conversation, Robyn shares how her definition of creative taste has evolved, why the hardest leadership happens behind the scenes, what separates good work from great work in a jury room, and the one thing about South African creativity she hopes we never lose.
On 5 August, The Forum in Bryanston will bring together Nedbank’s Khensani Nobanda, MaXhosa Africa’s Lihle Ngxokolo-Nqini, Rachel Kolisi and Carla Venter, alongside a growing crowd from across South Africa’s advertising, marketing, production and creative industries. With tickets selling fast and only a limited number remaining, now's the time to secure your seat.
To celebrate Corona’s belief that life is best lived beyond our screens, Boundless created a series of living posters that turned the setting sun into the brand itself. Captured at the exact moment the sun kissed the horizon over the city, long winter shadows stretched across the streets to create the silhouette of a Corona bottle, leading you to the sunset.
The Creative Circle Full Circle 2026, in partnership with Ster-Kinekor, hosts a selection of jury members, as they take the audience inside the jury rooms, through an inspiring showcase of the top trends, insights and award-winning work from Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Director Jason Fialkov has rejoined Carbon Films after several years working independently. The move reunites him with the team behind some of his most recognised work. And while there were plenty of practical reasons for returning, Jason sums it up by saying, "I miss the family."
Spitfire’s Director AK recently used the new VRtuosus studio in Hyde Park on a shoot for Profmed featuring Springbok prop Ox Nche, becoming one of the first South African commercial directors to put VRtuosus through the real test.
Fresh off taking home Silver in the ‘First Series – Full Series’ category at the Young Directors Award in Cannes for VW, Sanaa Mothabisa’s and the team at Sanaa Films continue to build an impressive body of work. Sanaa's latest commercial for Infacare through LePub leans into one of his superpowers: sensitivity. Shot in striking black and white, the film reflects a director growing in confidence and craft.
Grid Worldwide is independent again and it thinks the timing couldn't be better. After 16 years as part of TBWA\SA, Grid Worldwide has completed a management buyout, officially returning to full independence from 1 June.
Robot director Ayanda Duma has a habit of finding the version of a story you didn't know was there. Her latest work for Meow Meow Woof and Mukuru blends genres, humour and beautifully observed human moments into a film that feels unmistakably like Ayanda.
In this conversation, Zanele Kabane, M&C Saatchi Abel Associate Creative Director, shares what she looks for in directors, why trust between agencies and marketers changes everything, the ads she wishes she'd written, her complicated relationship with AI, and the unexpected hobby that's teaching her a surprising amount about creativity. Don't miss her shout-out to some of her favourite creatives doing work in our industry right now.
IDIDTHAT will be the first to bring you the Cannes Lions shortlists for South Africa as they are announced from the 11th – 26th of June 2026. Not only will we list those involved in creating the magic, we’ll also be showcasing the actual work that’s being recognised globally and link it back to the IDIDTHAT companies behind the work. This way, you’ll know exactly who the top creative minds to collaborate with are.
Keri-Ann Stanton, Chief Strategist and Founder of KAMuses Group, reports back from the final day of Cannes in the best possible way. We all speak Cannes now. And Keri-Ann... we're all dying to know. Did the giant box of matches make it back to South Africa?
In this diary, we get a two-for-one Cannes special from Accenture Song ECD Cameron Watson. From the nerves and pride of presenting ‘The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix’ to the Titanium jury, to Silver Lion celebrations, Saffa meet-ups, and the beautiful blur that makes Cannes feel like one giant, sun-drenched fever dream, Cameron's says it perfectly.
Former Ogilvy South Africa ECD and creative powerhouse Mariana O'Kelly is flying the South African flag on the global stage. Now based in Chicago, Mariana is the first Chief Creative Officer of DonerColle Partners, the alliance between Stagwell agencies Doner and Colle McVoy. If you've never had the pleasure of working with Mariana, this diary is a wonderful introduction to her brilliant, funny mind. South Africa misses you, ma se kind.